U.S. patent number 7,095,234 [Application Number 10/520,560] was granted by the patent office on 2006-08-22 for device for triggering ignition circuits.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Robert Bosch GmbH. Invention is credited to Andreas Rupp, Michael Ulmer.
United States Patent |
7,095,234 |
Ulmer , et al. |
August 22, 2006 |
Device for triggering ignition circuits
Abstract
A device for triggering ignition circuits is provided, a
coupling being provided between a positive output stage and
negative output stage of different pairs. Each positive and each
negative output stage is assigned a diagnostic unit and a drive
circuit.
Inventors: |
Ulmer; Michael (Moessingen,
DE), Rupp; Andreas (Reutlingen, DE) |
Assignee: |
Robert Bosch GmbH (Stuttgart,
DE)
|
Family
ID: |
30010111 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/520,560 |
Filed: |
February 25, 2003 |
PCT
Filed: |
February 25, 2003 |
PCT No.: |
PCT/DE03/00587 |
371(c)(1),(2),(4) Date: |
July 20, 2005 |
PCT
Pub. No.: |
WO2004/016475 |
PCT
Pub. Date: |
February 26, 2004 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20060055412 A1 |
Mar 16, 2006 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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|
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Jul 17, 2002 [DE] |
|
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102 32 359 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
324/380;
324/378 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R
21/0173 (20130101); F42D 1/05 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F02P
17/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;324/380,378
;123/618 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Benson; Walter
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Kenyon & Kenyon LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A device for triggering at least two ignition circuits,
comprising: a positive output stage assigned to each one of the two
ignition circuits; a negative output stage assigned to each one of
the two ignition circuits; a drive circuit assigned to each one of
the positive output stages and negative output stages; and a
diagnostic unit assigned to each one of the positive output stages
and negative output stages; wherein a first pair of positive output
stage and a negative output stage is provided on a common
substrate, and wherein a second pair of positive output stage and a
negative output stage is provided on the common substrate, and
wherein, for each ignition circuit, a positive output stage and a
negative output stage from different pairs are provided.
2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein for each pair of the
positive output stage and the negative output stage, a common power
supply is connected to the positive output stage and the negative
output stage.
3. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein the common substrate
is a single substrate.
4. The device as recited in claim 3, wherein one of a base and gate
of transistors of the different pairs is configured to be activated
by a processor to switch the transistors through in order to
trigger a firing of pellets for activating.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for triggering ignition
circuits.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
German Patent Document No. 101 09 620.8 describes a device for
triggering ignition circuits, where a positive and negative output
stage of, in each instance, different substrates are used for an
ignition circuit.
SUMMARY
The device of the present invention for triggering ignition
circuits provides the advantage over the prior art in that the
present device is more cost-effective, since the cross-coupled,
positive and negative output stages are now situated on a single
substrate. In this context, the modularity of the set-up is also
considerably increased. A gain in reliability is achieved, which is
more significant than that of the known design approaches not
having the cross coupling of the present invention, because the
positive and negative output stages, along with their corresponding
ignition-circuit diagnostics and triggering, may be implemented
independently of each other.
It is advantageous that the geometric distance between the positive
and negative output stages of the same ignition circuit on the
substrate is maximized. In this manner, the reliability is
increased, since as long a distance as possible between the
positive and negative output stages for the same ignition circuit
produces a high degree of independence from manufacturing
tolerances, which may be localized on a portion of the
substrate.
In addition, it is advantageous that a pair of positive and
negative output stages may have the same power supply. This
produces a considerable circuit-engineering advantage and
simplifies the design.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a pair of positive and negative
output stages according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of an example embodiment of the device
according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a pair of positive and negative
output stages according to the present invention. A drive circuit 2
is connected to a positive output stage 1. Positive output stage 1
is connected to a firing pellet 3 (ignition circuit) and a
diagnostic unit 4 via its other output. On the other side, firing
pellet 3 is connected to a diagnostic unit 5 and a negative output
stage 6. Negative output stage 6 is triggered, in turn, by a drive
circuit 7.
Therefore, the ignition system is formed by positive output stage
1, firing pellet 3, and negative output stage 6. Added to this are
diagnostic units 4 and 5, as well as drive circuits 2 and 7. Firing
pellet or ignition circuit 3 is powered by the positive and
negative output stages, which are switched through in the case of
firing, in order to provide the ignition circuit with the ignition
current. The positive output stage is referred to as such, since
the supply voltage is connected to it, while the negative output
stage is connected to ground. A separate drive circuit for positive
and negative output stages 1 and 6 ensures that the positive and
negative output stages of a pair may be cross-coupled to other
positive and negative output stages of other pairs, in order to
power a firing pellet. In this case, the positive and negative
output stages of a pair have a common power supply. As an
alternative, separate power supplies are also possible.
FIG. 2 shows an example embodiment of the device of the present
invention in a block diagram. A pair of positive and negative
output stages is situated in a block 12. Other pairs blocks 13 and
14 are schematically represented underneath block 12, i.e., blocks
13 and 14 are covered by block 12 in FIG. 2. The positive output
stage is formed by a positive output-stage transistor 8, which is
connected via a terminal 10 to a firing pellet 18, whose other
output is connected to terminal 15, which in turn belongs to a
negative output stage that is situated in a different pair. This is
pair 13. Also connected to terminal 10 is a diagnostic unit 4,
which belongs to positive output-stage transistor 8. Here, a
negative output-stage transistor 9 of pair 12 is not connected to a
firing pellet. However, it is possible to connect it to such a
firing pellet, which is connected to a different positive
output-stage transistor of another pair, in order to achieve cross
coupling. Negative output-stage transistor 9 has its own diagnostic
unit 5 at its terminal. A further firing pellet 17 is connected to
a positive output-stage transistor of pair 13 via terminal 11. On
its other side, firing pellet 17 is connected to a terminal 16 of
pair 14, in order to be connected here to the negative output stage
of pair 14. The diagnostic blocks assigned to the positive and
negative output-stage transistors are connected to terminals 11,
15, and 16.
The base or the gate of transistors 8 and 9, and of the transistors
of pairs blocks 13 and 14 that are covered by block 12 in FIG. 2,
is activated by a processor, in order to appropriately switch these
transistors through. Transistors 8 and 9, as well as the covered
ones of blocks 13 and 14, are switched through, in order to trigger
firing pellets 17 and 18 in case restraining devices should be
activated. In the normal case, i.e., when firing pellets 17 and 18
should not be triggered, diagnostic units 4 and 5, as well as the
covered diagnostic units of pairs blocks 13 and 14, carry out
diagnostic measurements of firing pellets 17 and 18. In this
context, firing pellets 17 and 18 are measured for resistances that
are too large or too small. The resistances are measured, using
voltages that decrease on the basis of diagnostic currents at
firing pellets 17 and 18. If the voltages at firing pellets 17 and
18 exceed specified values, then firing pellets 17 and 18 are
behaving erratically, and the stable functioning of firing pellets
17 and 18 is endangered, and therefore the use of the restraining
devices, as well. In some instances, this then results in a warning
or the switching-off of the restraining devices.
Drive circuits 2 and 7 are driver circuits, which are activated by
the processor in the case of triggering. Therefore, drive circuits
2 and 7 are connected to the gate or the base of transistors 8 and
9.
* * * * *